CAW Now 'Too Big To Fail'

I bet I wasn’t the only CAW member who chuckled this week after learning how the union’s leadership voted on our merger with the Communication, Energy and Paperworkers.

They voted 1,000 to none in favour.

What are the chances that you’d see such unanimity in any large, truly democratic organization? About 1,000 to one, probably. But here in the CAW we are all required to think alike, apparently.

I wondered idly how any dissenter would have been treated had they dared to vote “no” in public. The usual shunning, for sure, followed by a quick transfer to the CAW’s regional office in Tuktoyaktuk. “Brother No” would never be heard from again.

While the union brass have their own reasons for amalgamating with the CEP, as a lowly rank-and-file member I can think of several reasons why we shouldn’t.

Our input wasn’t exactly encouraged by the leadership — ordinary members heard about the plan the same way everybody else did, via the media — and no doubts were uttered on the convention floor in Toronto this week. But here are a few of my own:

Are they really trying to create a “stronger” union, whatever that means? Or are they just trying to create a monster union that’s too big to fail?

Several of the industries whose workers make up the core of the CAW’s membership have already been bailed out by taxpayers or remain protected by government-sanctioned oligopoly. Both cost taxpayers many billions of dollars, making the CAW the Goldman Sachs of unions.

The bailees were the Detroit-based automakers and Air Canada. Neither of those industrial groups is financially healthy yet. Both could easily be forced back into bankruptcy court if they are forced to accede to demands which are economically unsustainable.

Is the purpose of the merger really to make the union so powerful that nobody, including a national government, can ever say “no” to it again? If that is the goal, then our membership can get ready for another punishing round of downsizing, plant closures and bankruptcies.

Being bigger doesn’t make a union right, or its beliefs sensible. Or more democratic.

Some of us skeptical CAW members believe the merger is not about leverage at all: It’s about preserving the vast ranks of what U.S. unionists call the porkchoppers. They are the elite cadre of union functionaries who grow fat living off the system, both literally and figuratively. In Windsor ordinary plant-floor workers refer to them as ”the big bellies” for obvious reasons.

As many a CAW member has commented recently in private and publicly on The Windsor Star’s online comment threads, how come the union’s executive ranks never seem to go on a diet after the membership body shrinks?

In Windsor there are at least 5,000 fewer automotive members of the CAW than there were in 2008, half of them from closed Ford and General Motors plants. Yet the union’s national staff seems to have been untouched by the downsizing.

Of course, we don’t really know for sure how many positions we’re talking about — we’re just guessing. For outdated historical reasons no union operating in Canada has to reveal such details to their memberships or anyone else.

Despite the non-profit status unions enjoy in Canada, they can operate just like closely held private corporations, beholden to no one. Canada is the only industrialized nation that still permits this, although there is a private member’s bill pending in Ottawa to change that, Bill C-377.

The CAW says the merger will permit the new super union to wage a $50 million organizing drive across Canada to recruit new members. At least that’s what they say — we won’t be able to verify that’s where the money is actually going.

What if the real purpose of the fund is to wage war against the merged union’s political enemies — democratically elected governments? Canadian unions have done it before despite objections from members.

One of British Columbia’s largest unions was fined $3.2 million last month for illegally spending $320,000 to influence two byelections there. It doesn’t take a forensic audit to suggest the same thing could be going on in Ontario.

What gives the CAW the right to tax me to the tune of $1,200 per year and then use the money to campaign against what I believe to be my own best social, political and economic interests?

Is that the real purpose of the merger — creating an unofficial political party with guaranteed funding from unwilling pawns, able to operate outside the elections rules other organizations have to live by?

If that’s the case then the merger is really about perpetuating an immoral and clearly unsustainable “business model.” Having killed off vast swaths of the industry that used to feed its political appetite, the dinosaur is moving off in search of fresh meat.

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Market to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.